


Easy Living

by Biggreenfeet



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout - Fandom, Fallout 3
Genre: Complete, F/M, Fluff, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-11-29
Packaged: 2018-05-03 21:28:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5307506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Biggreenfeet/pseuds/Biggreenfeet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A one-shot of Charon and the Lone Wanderer (no name) going on a mission for Moira Brown set to the tune of "Easy Living" by Billie Holiday. Pure fluff. Love me some fluff! Also I own nothing :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Easy Living

_Living for you_

_Is easy living_

_It's easy to live_

_When you're in love_

_And I'm so in love_

_There's nothing in life but you_

It was useless. They’d been walking all day trying to make it to the Tepid Sewers The sun on her face was hot and drops of sweat rolled down her forehead, over her face and stinging when it got in her eyes. She dug the grimy heels of her palms into her eye sockets angrily blinking away the blur of moisture. The sun hung high in the sky and the landscape was quiet save the crunching of debris and gravel under their boots. It was unseasonably warm.

 

Charon walked silently several paces behind her, cradling his shotgun. She gave the ghoul a backward glance. He’d been quieter than usual over the past few days, and it had begun to grate on her. Having grown up in a Vault surrounded by such a tightly knit group of people had conditioned her general discomfort with silence.

 

“It’s _hot_.” She wiped an errant sweat drop from her forehead.

 

“Mmn,” came the grunted response. His mind seemed far away, though his laser-focused gaze wandered the dingy landscape, scouting for trouble.

 

The stink of the waterside drifted through her nostrils and she snorted it away.

 

“You know, I don’t think it would be asking too much if we had, you know, _actual_ conversation while we travel.” Her mood was sour.

 

“If conversation is what you wish, then I shall provide it.”

 

She bristled at the canned response. “Oh _never mind_.” She fumbled with the dials on the Pip-Boy hugging her wrist. Three-Dog’s gravelly voice sprang from the small speaker as she quickened her pace.

 

He sighed to himself, continuing to scan the horizon for trouble. He hadn’t been terribly excited to make the trek to the sewers to test what amounted to a smelly wooden mole-rat bludgeon, but she’d asked and that was that.

 

His mind drifted back to the catalyst for their current venture:

 

_Dust motes drifted through the rays of sunlight as the eccentric shop owner gesticulated wildly while explaining the latest experiment for her ridiculous guidebook. Arms crossed, Charon had fixed his steely gaze on the cracks of light filtering through the warped planks of wood._

_“…You could test it out on just a few mole-ratties, but for real testing, try it on 10 or more. There should be plenty in the Tepid Sewers, Downtown.”_

_She’d handed the girl a large stick covered in some strange-smelling green goop._

_“Good luck with that research!” her smile spread across her face, eyes glinting maniacally. Maybe he’d imagined that part._

_He squinted in the sunlight as the two made their way out of the Craterside Supply._

_“So it looks like we are going on a scientific expedition.” The Wanderer chortled to herself, twisting her face upward to look him in the eye. “Are you up to the trip? Maybe Moira will put you in the credits for the guide.” She gestured as if placing the words on an imaginary sign “Brought to you by the Lone Wanderer and her Stalwart Ghoul Companion, Charon.”_

_“Sounds a little unoriginal if you ask me.” He furrowed his non-existent brows._

_The corners of her mouth turned down, an exaggerated frown. “You don’t want to be known as my Stalwart Ghoul Companion? I would imagine Charon beats Argyle any day.”_

_“No. No. No.” He parroted the syllables back to her, a dim warmth spreading through his chest. A smile threatened to tug at the corners of his mouth. “Companion” she had called him._

_“Then what?” her voice interrupted his thoughts. He realized she’d stopped walking, and was now leaning on the clean end of the repellant stick, one hand raised to shield her eyes from the sun._

_The ghoul towered over her, the shadow of his form sliding over her face. “What do_ you _think would be best?” His tone was sarcastic._

_“I suppose Charon will have to do until I can think up something more_ original _.” She kicked at the repellent stick with her boot, flashing him an amused grin._

_“If you are through giving orders,” he was bemused, “then let us move on.” He gestured for her to continue walking._

_She shook her head slowly, clicking her teeth. “So he_ does _have a personality setting.”_

A sudden breeze blew across the ruined landscape, rustling what hair remained on the top of his head and bringing him back to the present. The truth was, she didn’t have to ask- he would follow her anyway. What gnawed at his irradiated insides was the reason why.

_I never regret_

_The years that I'm giving_

_They're easy to give_

_When you're in love_

_I’m happy to do whatever I do for you_

He cleared his throat with a grunt, dust rising around his boots as they came to a stop in the dirt. She was overheated and sunburned, but stubborn. He knew she wouldn’t stop until they had reached the destination, but even taking on mole-rats could turn ugly if you ran in on an empty tank.

 

“I think we should stop for a while. Take a load off.”

 

She wanted to pretend she hadn’t heard him, but her shoulders slumped in resignation. _He’s right_. _We’re both going to get dehydrated if we push on like this_. She frowned at the broken pavement, kicking idly at a broken piece of asphalt.

 

“Fine.”

 

They had settled into an empty storefront that had been boarded up ages ago. It was almost identical to the surrounding buildings, and quiet. The shaded porch was several degrees cooler than the direct sunlight. The Wanderer had shrugged off her backpack, putting her hands behind her head and blowing air out of her nostrils. It had been a trek getting this far, and she was _tired_. She closed her eyes for a moment as Charon rifled through their gear looking for water. He handed the first bottle to her, grunting. Her eyes flicked open, resting on his outstretched hand. She reached out as if to take the water, and placed her hand over his, letting it rest there.

 

“Thank you.” Her eyes were tired, her face red from heat and sun exposure. Bright eyes met his. “I’m sorry about earlier- I just…” She trailed off, dropping her eyes to the water bottle and their hands. “It’s lonely in the wasteland, you know?

 

His features softened. “Drink.” He removed the cap, letting her hand fall back to her lap as he pushed the bottle towards her. “Getting dehydrated- not a good idea.”

 

He removed his own bottle, and drank slow and deep his eyes on the horizon. _Kid, you have no idea._

 

He draped the shotgun over his bent knees, keeping watch. The girl had fallen asleep soon after emptying the grey-tinted bottle. He _knew_ she’d gotten too much sun, but still he’d let her sleep. His gaze lingered on her. This girl- the “Lone Wanderer” as she was known by the Wasteland- puzzled him. She was headstrong, that much was obvious. Sometimes he found himself more concerned with her well-being than was required…

 

He freed a crumpled pack of Big Boss cigarettes from his front shirt pocket. The smell of burning paper and phosphorus filled his nasal cavity as the tip struck the rough surface. The hot embers sparked to life and he took a long drag, exhaling a plume of grey. 

 

_You have no idea…_

 

_For you_

_Maybe I'm a fool but it's fun_

_People say you rule me with one_

_Wave of your hand_

_Darling, it's grand_

_They just don’t understand_

She feigned annoyance at Charon for letting her sleep while she stretched her muscles. He let his eyes linger on her form seconds longer than he should have and quickly fixed his gaze on the shotgun in his lap, thankful that she hadn't noticed.

 

“You know we could have been poking those things with the goo-stick _hours_ ago if you’d woken me up. I mean, I’ve been looking forward to this all day and I just can’t _believe_ that you would make me wait for such an experience!” her eyes rolled towards him, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

 

“Give it a rest. Oh, you did that already.” His face was straight, but his tone was light. He was busy polishing the barrels of his gun with a dirty rag.

 

She smiled. Her face looked better rested.

 

 _I made the right choice._ _But why should that please me so much?_ He shouldered the shotgun, packing up their gear quickly, pushing the question from his mind.

 

She studied the gadget around her wrist. “Looking at the Pip-Boy we have about an hour’s walk ahead.”

 

He grunted a response, shrugging a pack onto his back.

 

“You gonna talk to me this time?” she was still playing, one brow quirked at him.

 

“If I can get a word in.” A small smile.

 

She shouldered her gear, holding the repellent stick and making a face at it.

 

“So… what do _you_ think will happen when we hit the mole rats with this thing?”

 

***

 

“Oh my GOD! It’s head just _fucking_ exploded!” The gore was everywhere. She held the stick aloft, ready to strike the next beast to come hurtling towards her.

 

“Better him than me.” Charon kicked the third dead carcass out of the way, smashing a mole-rat in the face with the butt of his shotgun. His ghoulified features lit up in combat- he was having fun with this.

 

“Hit that one- over there! To your left-no your OTHER left!” She was bad at directions, and flailing around uselessly with the repellent stick. It seemed to be intimidating the irradiated pests, and they had turned their gnawing jaws on Charon.

 

“Throw me the stick!”

 

His rasping voice carried farther than she thought it would. She flung the green tipped stick towards him while drawing a pistol.

 

“Make it quick, I don’t want to waste the ammo or the test subjects!” She held the pistol out from her body, ready to cover him if it came to it.

 

He couldn’t hear her. “Yeah?! Yeah?! You want some of this?!” he  was swinging furiously at the beasts, their heads exploding in sequence with a sickening pop, pop, pop.

 

“What’s the matter, huh? Can’t stand the sight of your own blood?!” The giant ghoul was chasing after the remaining rodents, swinging the stick with all of his might. They disappeared down the tunnel, wet slushing sounds echoing in the dimness. Charon was cackling.

 

The skittering animal sounds had come to a halt. She heard the sound of heavy boots slogging back to her. The ghoul’s breathing was heavy but even, his leathers covered in mole-rat remains. He seemed pleased with himself.

 

She was standing under a fluorescent light, the green glow reflecting off of the combination of blood, brain matter, and skull fragments leftover from the encounter. It stuck to her armor, matted her hair, and left very little of her face uncovered. She blew air out of her nostrils, and wiped her mouth off on her arm, smudging more than she was removing.

 

“I blame you for this.” She spat brain matter away from her mouth, the white of her smile standing in bright contrast. “Mole rat,” she paused, panting “does not wash out!”

 

A sound erupted from deep in his chest. She cocked her head, a look of concern creasing her brow. She started forward, reaching an arm out, but dropped it. Her features softened as it registered: he was laughing. A deep and guttural belly laugh.

 

Charon hadn’t had that much fun in _years_.

 

He smiled at her in spite of himself, and for a brief moment she saw him in her mind’s eye as he might have looked before the bombs dropped. There was a feeling of warmth that rose in her chest, burning into her cheeks.

“Can we go _home_ now?” she sighed in mock exasperation.

 

He produced a rag slightly less filthy than their faces, handing it to her while he shrugged on his pack.

 

“If that is what you wish, then that is what I shall do.”

 

Her face appeared from behind the gore, smiling warmly at him. She stepped forward, beckoning the towering ghoul to bend down so she could reach him. Very gently, she wiped his face clean, using her thumb to swipe away a small piece of skull fragment. “Ah,” she began “ _That’s_ better. 

 

She folded the rag into a neat square, tucking it into her front pocket.

 

“Let’s go _home_ , Charon.”

 

He didn’t want to be anywhere else.

 

_Living for you_

_Is easy living_

_It’s easy to live_

_When you're in love_

_And I'm so in love_

_There’s nothing in life but you_

**Author's Note:**

> If you read, thank you for reading! This is my first piece of fanfiction...EVER. I will accept critique, but be nice ;)


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